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Renegades: Brad Lomax: Creating Communities of Care On-Demand

Brad Lomax joined the Black Panther Party and was the founder of the East Oakland Center for Independent Living He had multiple sclerosis and used a wheelchair. Explore Brad Lomax’s under-reported contributions to the early disability justice movement, which laid the groundwork for the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.

Educational Resources: Brad Lomax: Creating Communities of Care PBS LearningMedia Video, Discussion Questions and Teaching Tips (Grades 9-12)


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Learn More About Brad Lomax

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More About Brad Lomax:

Brad Lomax (1950-1984) was a civil rights and disability rights leader who had multiple sclerosis and used a wheelchair.

He was a member of the Black Panther Party and a founder of the East Oakland Center for Independent Living in the 1970s, an organization focused on assisting people with disabilities to live on their own, rather than with family or in institutions.

An experienced organizer, Lomax also built a Black Panther health clinic in DC and was in charge of the first aid tent at the Black Panther Convention and at the 1972 African Liberation parade. Lomax was one of the key protesters during the historic 26-day 504 sit-in at the Federal Building in San Francisco in 1977, which demanded the government enforce regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, to prohibit discrimination of people with disabilities. He brought in the Black Panther Party to feed the protestors, which many credit for the success of the sit-in. The sit-in resulted in entities receiving federal funds being required to make their programs and spaces accessible, and paved the way for the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Despite his pivotal role in the disability justice movement, the story of Brad Lomax is largely overlooked, and descriptions of the Black Panther Party’s alliance with the 504 demonstrators rarely mention Lomax’s previous work in civil rights and disability justice, and his coalition building efforts.

The episode features interviews with: Glenn Lomax, Lomax’s brother; Corbett O’Toole, disability rights advocate and a contemporary of Lomax who participated with him in the 504 sit-in; Cara Reedy, Director of the Disabled Journalists Association; Sami Schalk, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Gender & Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, whose book Black Disability Politics provides scholarship and perspective on Brad Lomax’s life and legacy.

American Experience – American Coup: Wilmington 1898 • WXXI-TV

Tells the little-known story of a deadly race massacre and carefully orchestrated insurrection in North Carolina’s largest city in 1898.

American Experience – American Coup: Wilmington 1898 airs Tuesday, November 12 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV. 

Stoking fears of “Negro Rule,” self-described white supremacists used intimidation and violence to destroy Black political and economic power and overthrow Wilmington’s democratically-elected, multi-racial government.

Photo: A mob celebrates in front of the burned Love & Charity Hall which housed the black-owned and -edited newspaper/Credit: The Daily Record. Courtesy of New Hanover County Public Library.

Renegades: Thomas Wiggins: Composing the Future – On-Demand

An African American composer and pianist known as one of the greatest musicians of the 19th century, Thomas Wiggins (1849-1908) was blind from birth and likely autistic. Although born into slavery, Wiggins was the first African American to perform at the White House, and toured throughout the U.S., South America, and Europe.

Educational Resources: Thomas Wiggins: Composing the Future PBS LearningMedia Video, Discussion Questions and Teaching Tips (Grades 9-12)


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Learn More About Thomas Wiggins

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More About Thomas Wiggins: (1849-1908) was an African American composer and pianist known as one of the greatest musicians of the 19th century.

Wiggins was blind from birth and likely autistic. Although born into slavery, he was the first African American to perform at the White House, and toured throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Billed as “Blind Tom, The Blind Negro Boy Pianist” he became the highest grossing, most ticketed act of his time. After the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect in 1863, Thomas Wiggins was fought over in the courts like a piece of property, leading to him being placed under a conservatorship until his death. In the course of his career, Wiggins earned his owners the largest fortune ever attained by a pianist at the time, the equivalent of over $32 million today.

Today, an estimated 1.3 million disabled people are under conservatorship or guardianship in the United States, and this intersection of disability, guardianship, and artistic exploitation continues to pervade our contemporary narratives, such as the recent public discourse surrounding the guardianship of pop icon Britney Spears, making this film exceedingly timely. Through Wiggins’ story, Renegades explores the broader, systemic issues related to lack of agency for individuals kept under conservatorships, and pose critical questions about our definitions of individual capacity, control, and freedom.

The episode features interviews with: Angela Miles-Williams, a descendant of Thomas Wiggins; jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker; composer and musicologist George E. Lewis; classical pianist John Davis; Lydia X.Z. Brown, Founding Executive Director of The Autistic People of Color Fund; and Dr. Dwandalyn Reece, Curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The episode also features performances by: Lachi, Matthew Whitaker, and John Davis.

American Masters “Renegades” Screening & Panel Discussion • The Little Theatre

WXXI and Move to Include are proud to host a special American Masters screening of Renegades, a new digital series that showcases the lives and cultural contributions of little-known historical figures with disabilities. The screening will feature Extended Audio Description and large open captioning. ASL interpretation will be provided for the introduction and the moderated panel discussion.

Reserve your free seat now!

The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.

Join us Monday, December 9th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at The Little Theatre for a special American Masters screening of the following Renegade episodes – U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye (1924-2012), the country’s highest-ranking Asian American political figure for nearly 50 years; Judith Lynn Del Ray (1943-1986), a science fiction and fantasy editor, who published books from sci-fi luminaries such as Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and George Lucas’ “Star Wars” in novel form; and Brad Lomax (1950-1984), a key participant in the historic 504 sit-in of 1977.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion led by Markus Essien, who directed and produced the Brad Lomax episode. Panelists include Kiki Smith, a local Blind activist; and Edward Ashton, author.

MORE ABOUT OUR MODERATOR:

Markus Essien is the Photography & Digital Arts Program Coordinator at Flower City Arts. He is also a filmmaker and musician originally from Washington, DC. He received his BA in Classics from Howard University and an Ed.M. from Harvard. Markus is dedicated to championing the arts, advancing education, and celebrating underdogs. He served as Director and Producer on the Renegades: Brad Lomax episode.

MORE ABOUT OUR PANELISTS:

Kiki Smith is a local Blind activist, who serves as Outreach and Fundraising Coordinator for the South East Area Coalition (SEAC). At SEAC she develops partnerships that advance inclusive thinking and promote a sense of belonging. With roots in education and community building, her vision transcends the challenges of vision loss to shed light on the simplicity and necessity of developing systems, programs, spaces, and technology that invite all and insure accessibility. Her daily lived experience as a multi-disabled woman fuels her commitment to ensuring equitable resources an opportunity in the workplace and for the community she serves.

An organic change-maker, Kiki volunteers with several community organizations, including Upstate New York Blind Recreation (formerly Rochester Area Blind Athletes), RBTL’s audio-description program, the National Beep Baseball Association, the Association of Fundraising Professionals Genesee Valley, and Goodwill Vision Enterprises. She has served on the boards of Challenger Miracle Field, the Women’s Care Center, and the Seton Foundation.

Edward Ashton is the author of seven novels, including MICKEY7 (now a motion picture directed by Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho and starring Robert Pattinson). His newest book, THE FOURTH CONSORT, is forthcoming from St. Martin’s Press in February, 2025. His short fiction has appeared in venues ranging from the newsletter of an Italian sausage company to Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Fireside Fiction, and Escape Pod. In his free time, he enjoys cancer research, teaching quantum physics to sullen graduate students, and boiling maple sap into syrup. You can find him online at edwardashton.com.

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Chasing Voices: The Story of John Peabody Harrington • WXXI-WORLD

John Peabody Harrington crossed the U.S. chasing the last speakers of Native Languages.

Chasing Voices: The Story of John Peabody Harrington airs Friday, November 8 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-WORLD.

John Peabody Harrington crisscrossed the U.S. chasing the voices of the last speakers of Native America’s dying languages. Understanding languages was his gift, which became his obsession. From one tribal community to the next he went, working in collaboration with the last speakers documenting every finite detail of the language before it was lost forever.

Pompeii: The New Dig • WXXI-TV

Binge on this landmark three-part series that follows the biggest archaeological dig at Pompeii for a generation.

Pompeii: The New Dig airs Saturday, November 9 at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

The series follows the biggest archaeological excavation in Pompeii for a generation. Exciting discoveries and fresco-inspired animations tell the story of life in Pompeii AD 79. It also imagines the horrors faced by resident as Vesuvius erupted.

Honoring Traditional Native Practices for the Future on WORLD

November offers the opportunity for a month-long celebration of Native traditions, cultures, languages and stories. Explore how Native American heritage brings strength and connection to communities with these new films and streaming favorites.

Watch Previews & On-Demand Films
World TV Schedules for On-air

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month • On-demand

Explore Native American history, culture and life today with these programs from PBS.

Featured Programs & Films
WXXI's Native American Culture & Heritage Site

Twice Colonized: Inuit activist Aaju Peter embarks on a personal journey for Indigenous people’s rights. (Available through 12/13/24)

The Legacy of the Land: Legends and legacies meet where the Great Kanawha and the mighty Ohio rivers merge, on the land where history & agriculture combine in one of the nations oldest and most storied farming regions. Narrated by Chris Sarrandon

Ghosts: “Ghosts” tells the story of three Kiowa boys’ daring escape from a government boarding school in Anadarko, Oklahoma in 1891, to attend a ghost dance ceremony at a distant Kiowa encampment. After being whipped for insubordination and feeling defeated, Charles, a rebellious teenager, plans to escape with an unlikely group of partners. (Available through 7/14/26)

A People’s History of Native America with Tai’ Leclaire: This digital miniseries explores the current social climate in Native America, diving deep into the history of tribal nations and the external factors that have shaped their contemporary circumstances. Comedian and actor Tai’ Leclaire and several topical experts will guide A People’s History of Native America, chronicling the accurate history with humor and brevity.

Episode 8: Who Can Identify As Native American? What’s the deal with “Pretendians”? Tai Leclare and experts dissect what it really means to be Native—whether it’s blood, initiation, or just a claim. This episode digs deep into the complexities of identity and last names in Indian Country. See More Episodes on the Series Page

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